It is known to use solar water heaters to heat swimming pool water. One such type of swimming pool heater comprises resilient strips formed of rubber or plastic material and comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending tubes. The strips are connected to inlet and outlet headers. The strips are cut into lengths having ends. Typically, at the ends of the strips each tube is connected into an inlet or an outlet header. The headers and tubes are so arranged that water from the swimming pool is pumped into and flows along the inlet manifold, passes into the tubes of the strips, flows through these tubes and then passes into the outlet manifold from where it returns to the swimming pool. During periods when solar radiation impinges on the strips, the water passing through the tubes is heated. These swimming pool heaters typically comprise a plurality of the strips which are usually mounted on a sloping roof.
The headers may be mounted in juxtapositioned relationship close to the lower end of the sloping roof, or one header may be located close to the lower end of the roof and the other header located close to the upper end of the roof. Also, both headers could be located at either or each end of the roof with horizontally disposed tubes. In prior art solar swimming pool heaters of the type described above, the tubes of the strips have typically been mounted in respective, individual apertures in the headers. However, this construction requires the use of a substantial amount of on site labor when assembling the heater which increases costs.